Overhead valve tappet clearance adjusting wrench



1 Jan. 18, 1949. G. s. MORRIS 2,459,671

' OVERHEAD VALVE TAPPET CLEARANCE ADJUSTING WRENCH Filed June 21, 1945 V IN VEN TOR.

(ea/ye (5, Mar/"is ATTc'l RN EYS Patented Jan. 18, 1949 jf lJNlTED STATE-s PATENT oFFlcE k OVERHEAD VALVE TAPPET CLEARANCE ADJUSTING WRENCH George S.Morris, North Hollywood, Calif. Application June 21, 1945, Serial No. 600,751

'2- Claims. (01. 81-56) invention relates to an overhead valv tappet clearanceadjusting wrench. 1 One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a device that. will reduce the. number of hand operations required in'adjusting overhead valve tappets.

The device will permit the unlocking of the valve adjusting screw locknut, the raising or lowering of the valve adjusting screw to obtain the desired clearance and the relocking of the valve adjusting screw locknut with one hand of the operator. This will permit the other or free hand to use an appropriate feeler gauge, thus rendering a faster and more accurate valve clearance adjustment.

Another objecttof the invention is to provide a device that is fully demountable, therefore permitting the various parts thereof to be replaced,

eliminating the necessity of purchasing an entire new wrench when the parts become worn..

A further object of the invention is to provide a device that will accommodate various sizes of valve adjusting screw locknuts that are employed on overhead valve engines for automobiles or airplanes. I

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device that will obtain the desired clearance with a minimum amount of effort on the part of the operator.

' Other objects and advantages of the invention gresses.

.In t'he'accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof partly in section.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 5 designates the wrench head of the tool which is square in shape and comprises an upper wrench head plate I, a lower wrench head plate 9, front wrench head plate II and rear wrench head plate l3, suitably secured together to form a square by upper and lower wrench head plate retainer screws [5, of which there are eight in number.

The lower Wrench head plate 9 is provided with a socket wrench receiving opening I! which is adapted to receive the reduced portion H! of a socket wrench 2|.

The opening I! is provided with the usual socket retaining ball 23 which is operated by will become apparent as the description pro- 2 tension from the socket retaining ball tension spring 25.

The upper wrench head plate I is provided with screw-driver blade receiving opening '21 which is adapted to receive the upper end '29 of the screw-driver blade 3!.

The screw-driver blade 3| is in vertical relation with the socket'wrench 2| and the screwdriver blade receiving opening 2'! is in alignment with an opening 33 in the reduced portion I9"'of the socket wrench 2|.

The screw-driver blade 3| enters the socket 35 of the socket wrench 2| a suflicient distance to be inserted into the usual kerf of the valve adjusting screw, not shown.

Secured to the screw-driver blade 3| is a bevel gear driven member 3'! which is secured thereto in any well-known manner in this instance by, spot welds 39.

The upper end 29 of the screw-driver blade 3| is provided with a reduced squared portion" 4|, which is adapted to be received in the square opening 43 of a screw-driver blade manually operated handle 45. j

The reduced squared portion 4| is provided with an internally threaded bore 41 to receive a complementary threaded screw-driver blade manually operated handle retainer screw 49 and,

washer 50, which retains the screw-driver blade the reduced plate I3 is provided with The reduced circular portion 5| of the cylindrical Wrench handle 53 is slidably received in the tubular handle bearing 49 and is retained therein by means of a handle retainer screw 55 which is received in the complementary threaded opening 51 which is adjacent the end of the tubular handle bearing 49, and enters a circular retainer screw receiving groove 59 in the reduced circular portion 5| of the cylindrical wrench handle 53.

The reduced circular portion 5| is provided with a circular shank 6! on which is rotatably mounted a bevel gear driving member 63. The circular shank 6| is provided with an internally threaded bore which is adapted to receive a complementary threaded bevel gear driving member retainer screw 61 and washer 68 which retains bevel gear driving member 63 on the circular shank 6 I.

interposed between the shoulder 69 formed at wrench 2| is positioned over the valve adjusting screw locknut. The screw-driver blade 3| is manually positioned by the handle 45 so that the tip of the screw-driver blade. 3! isrreceivedlintog the kerf of the valve adjusting screw. With the handle 53 in normal position, i..e.-,.with.the,gears 31 and 63 disengaged the handle is rotated in a horizontal plane on the axis formed by the-screwy plates to form the head, a socket wrench mountecfimthe; lower: plate of said head, a screw-driver perpendicular to said head having a handle attachedi to one. end thereof, the other end thereof terminating in the socket of said socket wrench,

ahtubularhandle. bearing formed integral with driver blade 3| in a counterclockwise direction to loosen the valve adjusting screw locknut.

With. one hand the operator pushes the handle. 53 towards the wrench head5', engaging bevel ears 31 and. 53 then, by rolling or rotating the handle. 53, the hand of the operator will transmitsuch action through the. gears 3'! and, 63 to the screw-driver blade. 3|: to the valve adjust.- ing, screw. whichwill, depending on, the direction of the rolling or rotating, raiseor lower the valve adjusting screw. During this operation, the op.- erator with his free hand can. insert an appropriate feeler gauge betweenlthe valve adjusting screw and tappet to obtain the, desired clearance. If, it is desired to raise or, lower, the valve adjusting. screw through the medium. of; the screw-driver alone such. may be accomplished by manually, rotating, the screw.- driven by means. of the. handle 45'secured1to-thej upper end, of the. SCIBWrdI'il/GIT. In this. instance, the handle. 53 will not be pushed inwardly to cause the. gears 3.1,.and63 to becomeengauged.v

After. this has. been. obtained thehandlesfifi is all'owed'to.- slip in. the operatorshand, disengaging, the. bevel gears. 3.1: and. 6.3 by action of. the, bevel gear disengaging spring 1.1;. Then h p-firms 1y grasping the handle. 45. so that. the, position of the valve adjusting. screw is,.maintained, the handle 53 isrolled; or rotated in the oppositeor. clockwise direction. to. tighten the valve. adjust.- in i-screw locknut.

The. operation. being repeated on. each. ,valve .of, the engine desired to be adjusted. p

Having thus described only atypicaLemhodiment ofthe invention, it is tobeunderstoodthat the invention is not tobe limited o'rQrestricted-to the particular details hereinaboveset. fbrthand. 5

that various changes. as to [the shanesize and saidrrear. plate at right angles thereto, and means for rotating said screw driver, said last mentioned means comprising a handle. slidably and rotatably mounted in the handle: bearing andcoopcrating disengageable meanson the inner end of the. handle; and on the screw driver to rotate said" screw-driver upon rotation of said handle".

2: The invention as in claim-l wherein a circliilar. groove is providedv in said. last mentioned handle; and means for retaining said last mentioned handle is mounted in said bearingrforcoaction with, said" groove, and the cooperating? means comprises a bevelled gear'positioned'on the inner end of said last mentioned. handle within said head, and; a bevelledgear located onsaid. screw driver adapted to mesh with the gear. on said last mentioned handle upon.forward; sliding: movement of saidv last mentioned. handle, and means is located between andcontacts with said. bearing and: said last' mentioned handle: to three" said last' mentioned handle rearwardly' to disenzgage saidgears.

GEORGE" S; MORRIS:

- file of this patent:

UNITED STATES Koza; Jan; 9.; 1945' 

